When free storage space runs out on your smart home’s primary drive, automated backups will inevitably fail: the Home Assistant Supervisor refuses to run backups as soon as there isn’t enough remaining space left for the archive. In this guide, you will learn how to clone your existing card directly to a larger memory card using balenaEtcher. This saves you from having to set up the system from scratch and gives your setup plenty of breathing room again.
What You Need
- A running system powered by Home Assistant OS (such as on a Raspberry Pi or Odroid)
- Your current memory card and a new, larger one (for hardware recommendations, check out our guide: Raspberry Pi: SD card recommendations – what really matters)
- A computer with balenaEtcher installed and compatible card readers
Back up critical configurations beforehand if there is still enough space for a partial backup, and always shut down the host system cleanly before removing the card.
1. Shut Down Home Assistant Cleanly
Shut down the operating system completely before disconnecting any hardware to prevent database corruption. Only disconnect the power supply once the shutdown process has fully finished, then remove the old SD card.
2. Connect Both Memory Cards to Your Computer
Connect both the old and the new card to your PC or Mac. If the target drive refuses write access, a quick check usually helps: SD card won’t format: check the lock switch first.
3. Clone the Card Using balenaEtcher
Launch balenaEtcher and select the cloning function (clone card). Set your existing Home Assistant card as the source and the new card as the target. Once started, balenaEtcher will handle both the cloning process and the subsequent verification.
4. Insert the New Card and Boot Up
Insert the newly written card into your hardware and reconnect the power supply. Once booted, the additional capacity of the larger card will be available right away.
Did It Work?
Your system should become accessible again as usual after booting. In the web interface, verify whether storage utilization has dropped and the total available storage matches the capacity of your new card. Backups can now be triggered again without warnings.
Troubleshooting
- The interface reports connection errors or authentication issues: If data was corrupted during the cloning process, the system might be damaged. Repeat the cloning process, or flash a clean system image and restore a previously created backup.
- balenaEtcher throws an error: Ensure that the memory cards and card readers are properly connected to your computer and maintain a stable connection.
With the cloned card in place, your home automation system is back up and running. If write loads continue to increase over time, migrating to an SSD might also be a worthwhile next step.
Sources: Forum: Home Assistant Community, home-assistant.io, github.com, community.simon42.com